Ways to Give

The reality is that managing finances are an important, sometimes stressful, aspect in the life of our congregants, as well as the life of our church. In recognition of this, our goal is to provide worry-free and simple methods to our congregation when making pledge payments, transferring stocks or IRAs, or allocating planned gifts to the church. Our Business office is always available to answer your questions, so please don’t hesitate to ask.

› Keeping Your Pledge

Pledge payments and payments towards any other special gifts may be made through a variety of options, ranging from weekly offering envelopes to online banking.

Online via Recurring Payments: Use the online banking tools of your bank to set up SPC as an “automatic bill pay account.” This feature allows you to set up an automatic, recurring payment to SPC. You choose the date and the amount, checks will be generated and sent automatically to the church each month.

Checks should be addressed as follows:

Payee: Swarthmore Presbyterian Church
Address: 727 Harvard Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081
Memo line: 2022 Pledge (or whatever language describes where you want payment to go)

Note: The name for this service is slightly different with each bank, simply look at the online tools provided with your bank to see how easy it can be to schedule an automatic, recurring payment to SPC to spread your pledge payments throughout the year.

By Cash: If paying in cash, please request offering envelopes, which will be coded so that we can correctly post the contribution to the right donor. Envelopes may be requested from the Finance Office at any time. Contributions may be made weekly, monthly, or whatever best suits your personal banking habits.
Note: Cash should not be mailed to the church, but may be put in the offering plate on Sunday morning or delivered to the church office during weekday office hours.
By Personal Check: Personal checks should be made out to “Swarthmore Presbyterian Church” with the purpose of the payment (Pledge, Peacemaking Offering, Memorial Gift, etc.) indicated on the memo line. Checks may be delivered in person during normal office hours (available on our contact information page) or mailed to us at the address indicated above.

› Gifts of Stocks, Securities & IRAs

Stocks & Securities: Gifts of stock are a wonderful way to support SPC and provide you with both income and capital gains tax deductions.
IRAs: The Charitable IRA Rollover allows individuals age 70½ and older to make direct transfers up to $100,000 per year from individual retirement accounts to qualified charities without having to count the transfers as income for federal tax purposes. Since no tax is incurred on the withdrawal, gifts do not qualify for a charitable deduction, but may be counted toward an individual’s minimum required distribution.

For instructions on how to make a gift of a stock or security, or a gift from an IRA, please contact either John Hubbell (business@swarthmorepres.org) or Jean Noon (finance@swarthmorepres.org) in the SPC business office.

› Donation of Goods

Several of the local organizations supported by our Outreach dollars or volunteer efforts also collect basic furnishings for those they serve. We have collection areas right in the church for a few of these; you may bring contributions during office hours (available on our contact information page) or on Sunday mornings.

SPC’s Fall Fair: Contributions of goods to be sold at the Fair are what make it such a wonderful place for bargain shopping! It is tons of fun seeing Fair shoppers as they discover these bargains and take them home to care for. Two collection dates are scheduled each year, one in May and one in September, when our parking lot is filled with volunteers welcoming donors. If you are ready to do some recycling of things you no longer use, please consider finding a new home for them and helping to support church ministries in the process.

Items collected at the fair include:

Collectibles – Antique quilts, crystal, fine and vintage linens (please not stained or torn), modern decorative items, sterling silver, kitchenware, iron skillets or pots, labeled artwork, oriental rugs, pottery, etc. Small furniture items are welcome, too. Questions? Email us by clicking here.
Jewelry & Accessories – Fine jewelry, costume jewelry (necklaces, earrings, bracelets, pins), scarves, handbags (especially designer bags), and fashion accessories of all kinds appreciated here! Please bring jewelry in sturdy lidded boxes if possible. Questions? Email us by clicking here.
Children’s Toys & Games – Toys, puzzles, games, Legos, dolls, dress-up/Halloween outfits, baby gear, and books for children of all ages. All in good condition, please. Cleanliness of all donations is appreciated! We cannot accept stuffed animals or baby nursing supplies. Questions? Email us by clicking here.
Sporting Goods – Outgrown/used sports equipment for children and adults find a home here. We cannot accept golf clubs, treadmills, or large exercise equipment. Strollers, bikes, and other sizable items will be welcomed the day before the Fair. Questions? Email us by clicking here.

Food Pantry at Chester Eastside Ministries: Nonperishable foods of all variety are collected in bins located in Pinkston Outreach Center (Fellowship Hall lobby). Most useful items include cereal; pasta, canned prepared meals such as chili, stews, and pasta entrees; peanut butter, crackers, canned fruits and vegetables, and basic seasonings. Take advantage of those multiple-item-purchase grocery store specials and bring the surplus here, or use the monthly shopping lists suggested by our Hunger Task Force.

› Year-End Notes

To be eligible for a tax deduction for contributions in a specific year, all contributions must be received by the church or postmarked by December 31 of that year. The church office closes at noon on December 31 or, if December 31 falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, the office closes on the prior Friday at noon.

Certain rules apply for donations of securities:

A gift is considered complete on the date of delivery to the Church Office or on the date of the postmark if the security (securities) is(are) delivered or mailed with the appropriate forms and signature verification.
If a gift is delivered to an agent, it is not considered complete until the stock is transferred to the church’s account. This process can take weeks, so careful planning is important.